1These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:
1The words of Lemuel the king—the burden that his mother taught him:
2What shall I say,a O my son?
What, O son of my womb?
What, O son of my vows?
2What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?
3Do not spend your strength on women
or your vigor on those who ruin kings.
3Do not give your strength to the women, and your ways to wiping away kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to crave strong drink,
4Not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers strong drink,
5lest they drink and forget what is decreed,
depriving all the oppressed of justice.
5lest they drink and forget the decree, and pervert the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
6Give strong drink to one who is perishing,
and wine to the bitter in soul.
6Give strong drink to the one perishing, and wine to those bitter of soul.
7Let him drink and forget his poverty,
and remember his misery no more.
7Let him drink and forget his poverty, and not remember his trouble anymore.
8Open your mouth for those with no voice,
for the cause of all the dispossessed.
8Open your mouth for a mute one, for the cause of all the sons of destitution.
9Open your mouth, judge righteously,
and defend the cause of the poor and needy.
9Open your mouth, judge with righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor one and needy one.
10A wifea of noble character, who can find?
She is far more precious than rubies.
10A wife of worth, who can find her? And far above rubies is her value.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he lacks nothing of value.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he is not lacking in spoil.
12She brings him good and not harm
all the days of her life.
12She has done him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
13She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
13She has sought wool and flax, and she works it with the delight of her palms.
14She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
14She is like the ships of a merchant—from afar she brings in her bread.
15She rises while it is still night
to provide food for her household
and portions for her maidservants.
15And she rises and it is still night, and she provides food for her house, even the portion assigned to her maidservants.
16She appraises a field and buys it;
from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
16She considers a field and buys it; from the fruit of her palms she plants a vineyard.
17She girds herself with strengtha
and shows that her arms are strong.
17She girds her loins with strength and strengthens her arms.
18She sees that her gain is good,
and her lamp is not extinguished at night.
18She tastes that her profit is good; her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
19She stretches out her hands to the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
19She stretched out her hands to the distaff, and her palms grasp the spindle.
20She opens her arms to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
20Her palm she spreads out to a poor one, and her hands she sends out to a needy one.
21When it snows, she has no fear for her household,
for they are all clothed in scarlet.a
21She does not fear for her house because of snow, for all her house is clothed in scarlet.
22She makes coverings for her bed;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
22Coverings she has made for herself; fine linen and purple are her clothing.
23Her husband is known at the city gates,
where he sits among the elders of the land.
23Her husband is known in the gates, in his sitting with the elders of the land.
24She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchants.
24Linen garments she has made and sold, and a girdle she gives to the merchant.
25Strength and honor are her clothing,
and she can laugh at the days to come.
25Strength and honor are her clothing, and she laughs at the day to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom, and instruction of kindness is on her tongue.
27She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
27She watches the goings of her house, and the bread of idleness she does not eat.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband praises her as well:
28Her children rise up and call her blessed, and her husband he praises her:
29“Many daughters have done noble things,
but you surpass them all!”
29“Many daughters have acted with worth, and you have gone up over them all.”
30Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
30Charm is deceptive and beauty is vapor, and a woman fearing YHWH—she is to be praised.
31Give her the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her at the gates.
31Give to her from the fruit of her hands, and let her own deeds praise her in the gates.